Self-adjusting rural mail box support



Jan. 31, 1939 I J. B. TOWNSEND I 2,145,782

SELF-ADJUSTING- RURAL MAIL BOX SUPPORT Filed March 11, 1957 JOHN B. TOWNSEND Patented Jan. 3l, 1939 PATENT OFFICE SELF-ADJUSTING RURAL MAIL BOX SUPPORT John B. Townsend, Newark, Ohio Application March 11, 1937, Serial No. 130,399

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a self-adjusting rural mail box, and more particularly to a support for the box so constructed as to permit the box to swing in either direction should the box be accidentally hit by a passing vehicle and then cause the box to automatically return to its normal position when freed from a blow of a passing vehicle.

An important object of this invention is the production of a simple and eflicient rural mail 10 box support which will permit of the placing of the supporting post at a considerable distance from the edge of the highway or main line of trafiic and at the same time hold the box within convenient reach of the postman and others desiring access to the box.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear throughout the following specification and claim.

, In the drawing:

20 Figure 1 is a side elevation of the mail box and support therefor;

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof; Figure 3 is a sectional perspective View of the lower portion ofithe support, illustrating the 25 locking device;

, Figure 4 is a vertical sectional View taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1; Figure5 is a horizontal sectional view through thelower portion of the hanger bracket, showing 30 the lower box-supporting arm in a swung position;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device; Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view taken 5 on line 1-1 of Figure 5.

By referring to the drawing, it will be seen that I designates the supporting post, which q may be placed at a considerable distance from I the edge of the highway or main lane of trafiic. 40' A hanger bracket I I is bolted or otherwise secured to the face of the post I0 facing the road or highway. The hanger bracket I I is provided with a pair of spaced downwardly inclined arms I 2 and I3, which extend away from the post l0 toward 4 the highway. A mail box I4 of the conventional type is secured to the upper face and at the .outer end of the upper supporting arm I5, and this arm I5 is pivotally connected to the arm I2 of the hanger 50 I bracket I I by means of the pivot bolt I6, the arm I5 overhanging the arm I2. The arm I5 is inclined downwardly from the pivot bolt I6 toward its outer end which supports the mail box I 4. A

bracing arm I1 engages at its outer end the under 56 face of the arm I5 directly under the mail box I4 and is inclined downwardly toward its inner end, the inner end of the arm I! having an angular extension I8.

A locking plate I9 is secured to the under face of the angular extension I8, and this locking 5 plate I9 is provided with downwardly bent lips 20 which normally overhang the sides of the arm I 3, as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4. These lips 20 are provided with curved or convex under edges 2|, so that they may easily ride or climb upon the upper face of the arm I3 as the arms I! and I5 are swung at right angles to the arms I2 and I3. A pivot bolt 22 passes through the angular extension I8 and the arm I3 and constitutes a pivot for the arm IT. A coil spring 23 is mounted upon the bolt 22 below the arm I3 and a nut 24 is threaded upon the bolt 22 to regulate the tension of the spring 23. It should be noted that the pivot bolts I6 and 22 are in longitudinal alignment so as to allow the arms I5 and I1 to properly 2 swing.

Should a passing vehicle or other object accidentally strike the box I4, the supporting arms I 5 and I1, because of their being pivoted upon the bolts I6 and I8, will permit the box to be swung 25 in the direction of the passing blow and in this manner prevent the breaking of the box or the bending of the supporting arms which might otherwise occur. The arm I! has sufiicient give to allow the convex faces 2| of the lips 20 to ride 80 up over the top face of the arm I3, the spring 23 also yielding sufliciently for this purpose. As soon as the force of the blow has been spent, the weight of the box I4 and arms I5 and II will cause the box to swing back to its normal position or to right itself, this movement being facilitated by the rounded or convex under faces of the lips 20 resting upon the upper face of the arm l3. When the box I4 returns to its normal position, the lips 20 will snap over the sides of the arm I3 and the locking plate I9 will assume a straddling position with respect to the arm I3, holding the box I4 in its normal position against the usual force of the wind or other force of minor degree which would not be likely to injure the box I4.

Because of the fact that the box I4 is normally supported by the arms I5 and I! which are inclined downwardly and are pivotally supported upon the arms I2 and I3 which are also inclined downwardly, the pivot bolts being inclined outwardly from the upper end of the post ID, the box I4 will swing upwardly on the arc of a circle in either direction from its central or normal position. Consequently, when the box I4 is released from its swung position, the box through force of gravity will automatically return to its normal position, this movement being facilitated by the rounded contact of the lips 20 with the upper 7 face of the arm l3.

It should be understood that certain detail changes in the mechanical structure may be employed so long as these changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new is:-

A self-adjusting mail box support comprising a hanger bracket having a support engaging portion and upper and lower arms extending outwardly therefrom at a downward incline, upper and lower outwardly converging mail box supporting arms, means for pivotally securing one of the mail box supporting arms to one of the arms of said bracket, a bolt pivotally connecting the inner end of the other mail box supporting arm with the other arm of the bracket, 'a cross plate carried by the second mail box supporting arm and having end portions projecting from opposite sides thereof and bent to form depending lips adapted to engage the side edges of the bracket arm, said lips having arcuate lower edges to facilitate riding of thelips upwardly over the bracket arm as the mail box supporting armsare swung from side to side, and a spring carried by the bolt and yieldably holding the arms in face to face engagement with each other. 7

JOHN B. TOWNSEND. 

